Unexpected visitors
by canny-bairn
Summary: After arriving back from LA JJ finds some unexpected visitors in her office. Written for chit chat corner's mini challenge!


_**Disclaimer, I own nothing related to Criminal Minds if I did AJ and Paget would be staying!**_

_**This is my input for chit chat corners mini 'Creative Reasons' challenge. I'm still severely annoyed that AJ is leaving (it comes in waves :S) and I know whichever way the writers write JJ out of the show I'll be disappointed but here's my take. Hope someone likes it, well doesn't like the scenario, but you know what I mean! Let me know what you think! **_

...

Los Angeles had been a bad case. There was no good outcome. No clear win for the team. No clear win for anyone. Now there was no jubilant conversation about going out for a few drinks. No mocking one another. There was hardly any eye contact. Morgan walked off to his office without even a grunt. Hotch ordered everyone home for a long weekend before shutting his office door behind him leaving everyone else to quietly sort through their personal belongings.

In LA they had left behind a dead cop, a dead UNSUB and many dead civilians.

Morgan had witnessed the murder of Detective Spicer and when the team found the detective's daughter, Ellie, dead too, Morgan lost it. The media caught hold of the story after the death of Spicer and the attention had got so bad that they all felt exhausted just from pushing through the large crowds of reporters at the crime scenes and from outside the police station. Hotch and Rossi spent most of the time keeping Morgan calm. Reid and Prentiss dealt with the new crime scenes whilst JJ got stuck dealing with the media, victim's families and the top brass who weren't happy at all with the way the team were handling the case.

The case had ended with more victims at the hands of the UNSUB and a shoot out, the final and lethal shot coming from Morgan. JJ wandered down the bland corridor to her office but paused at the doorway seeing it wasn't vacant.

"Chief Strauss" JJ watched as Strauss stood and stiffened as her attention slowly turned to the man sitting in JJ's seat. "Agent Fallows. Is there something I can do for you both?"

JJ shut the door behind her stepping into the room as Fallows indicated to the second seat next to Strauss. "Agent Jareau we need to discuss your position within the BAU"

JJ froze as she watched Fallows steeple his fingers. The agent had been her supervisor in the Communications Department for the last four years and as JJ's mind raced over what she might have done wrong, she became even more deflated when she realised that they hadn't spoke more than a few words over that period so this impromptu meeting was definitely not going to be for a simple catch up.

Strauss took her seat again before speaking. "Agent Jareau, LA was a bad case for your unit"

"Yes Ma'am, but the team acted professionally and in the end we did our job efficiently" JJ nodded on her last word, trying not to be intimidated by the senior agents.

Fallows scoffed quietly obviously not worrying about the presence of the section chief. "Seven dead including a decorated LAPD Detective and you think your team acted efficiently?"

"You don't sir?" JJ raised her eyes.

Strauss broke their glaring by coughing. "Agent Jareau you've had a lot to deal with in this unit and it is evident that you are an excellent agent and very capable of doing more..."

"I'm happy in the BAU, I love my job"

Agent Fallows interrupted sharply. "Even so we believe it's time for you to move on"

"Move on? Shouldn't Agent Hotchner be in here for this?" JJ shifted in her seat looking towards the door for an escape.

"Agent Hotchner doesn't have a say in this matter Agent Jareau" Strauss spoke almost bitterly probably due to having on several occasions the loyalty towards Aaron Hotchner seemingly undermine her own position within the Quantico hierarchy.

"Do I?" JJ questioned as she tiredly rubbed her forehead.

"No. We need you to head up communications for the new Fugitive Task Force in Phoenix, there's been a reshuffle in leadership there and we want you to go and sort it all out. Think of it as a promotion" Fallows stood, knocking the desk slightly which made JJ's photograph of Henry fall.

"I'm happy in the BAU" JJ's voice became somewhat more forceful as she began to panic.

Agent Fallows walked towards the door. He spoke as though he had rehearsed every possible outcome like the media liaison's practice before a big press conference. "The BAU needs new blood in communications..."

The Pennsylvanian whispered quietly stopping Fallows leaving prematurely. "But they're my team"

"And they'll be well looked after Agent Jareau, but you are to go to Phoenix" Fallows stared back at JJ as she stood; there was a moment silence before he broke eye contact and left the room.

JJ's attention turned to the relatively quiet section chief. "When?"

"The beginning of next month"

JJ shook her head again slowly trying desperately to think of a way out of her predicament. "Is there any way for me to stay in the BAU?"

"I'm sorry Agent Jareau, I've pushed the paperwork through already. You'll be leaving the BAU on the 2nd and will be in your new office in Phoenix by the tenth"

JJ froze when realisation of the situation hit her. A few more minutes passed in silence before Strauss brought her out of the silent panic. "Agent Jareau?"

"I have to tell Hotch" JJ met Strauss's grey eyes with sorrow.

"I'm on my way to Agent Hotchner's office now. Would you care to join me?" JJ nodded and the two blonde women left the small office at the end of the corridor and JJ followed her superior through the bullpen, avoiding the questioning eyes of Prentiss, Reid and Rossi, who was sitting in Morgan's former seat.

Strauss opened Hotch's office door walking in unannounced just as he was slipping on his coat over his suit jacket to leave for the night. "Agent Hotchner do you have a moment?"

"Ma'am" Hotch's eyes widened in shock as Strauss stood with a slightly annoyed expression glaring back at him, the pale face of his female colleague made him worry even more. "JJ, is everything okay?"

JJ shook her head as she took a seat on the soft couch at the back of his office. "What's going on?" Hotch asked worryingly as JJ looked towards Strauss tiredly.

"Agent Fallows in the communication department has requested Agent Jareau to be transferred to the Phoenix field department and I've granted the request" Strauss spoke quickly as she stood with her hand on her hip, watching as Hotch kept his focus on JJ.

Hotch shook his head, his brown eyes becoming more determined as JJ leaned back on the sofa submissively. "Fallows can't do that, JJ is in my department..."

"Agent Jareau is attached to your unit Agent Hotchner from the communications department. Agent Fallows is within his rights to request a transfer for one of his agents. For Agent Jareau this would mean a promotion surely you wouldn't deny that to one of your agents?" Strauss raised her eyes quizzically.

"No of course not but... is this what you want?" Hotch asked JJ solemnly

JJ shook her head again remaining quiet as Strauss interrupted her answer "Agent Jareau's transfer has already been approved"

"What?" Hotch harshly replied

JJ spoke quietly for the first time since entering her unit chief's office. "I leave in a few weeks"

"Chief Strauss..." The section chief held up her hand to signal him to stop protesting.

"Agent Hotchner after all your team has pulled over the years, Agent Jareau's transfer should have happened a long time ago. She is a media liaison after all so you're lucky to have had her with you for so long..." There was complete silence as Strauss looked between the two colleagues exchanging knowing but defeated glances.

Strauss broke the silence excusing herself. "I have a meeting to attend so I'll let you both get on with your evenings. Agent Jareau I will see you at nine on Monday morning in my office to sort out the transfer details."

Hotch and JJ nodded watching as Strauss strode out of his office taking the air out of JJ's lungs with her. Hotch moved to shut the door then sat opposite JJ on coffee table. "Are you okay?"

JJ took a deep breath tying to control her emotions. "I was kind of blind sighted"

"Tell me about it"

He watched as JJ began to chew her bottom lip, like she does when she's nervous, before her placed his hand softly on top of hers. "Hotch I don't want to leave you guys"

"I know but it doesn't sound like we've got a choice"

"What are we going to do?" JJ asked as though there was something they could do but after eight years in the bureau she knew the reality of the situation.

Hotch shrugged tightening his grip on her hand. "I don't know... Phoenix"

"Phoenix" JJ repeated as her eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's a promotion" Hotch tried to reason but JJ protested.

"How? I work for one of the most elite unit's in the entire bureau and now they want me to run communications for a fugitive task force? I can do that in my sleep."

Hotch nodded trying to avoid the smirk threatening to surface at JJ's less than modest words. "It'll probably be high profile"

"I have an eighteen month old. I can't deal with more high profile than what I do already"

Hotch could see his friend questioning herself. "You'll be fine JJ. You're an excellent agent and mom. I have complete faith in you"

JJ offered him a small smile. "Thanks Hotch, but I still don't want to go"

"I'll try and make some calls but if she's already put the transfer through..."

"Yeah I know. God this wasn't supposed to happen" JJ closed her eyes in frustration.

Hotch stood and the absence of his hand on top of hers forced JJ to open her eyes. "It's going to be okay, we'll try and fix this"

They exchanged smiles as Hotch took of his coat and placed it back on the hanger. He went to pick up his phone when JJ's calm voice stopped him. "I'm going to have to leave aren't I?"

"We can fix this" He reiterated determinedly.

JJ smirked at his focus on dialling the number on the phone. "You're a bad liar"

After dialling the wrong number, twice, Hotch placed the phone back in its holder with force and sat down in his chair in defeat. He shook his head again and rubbed his face tiredly before staring back at his colleague who was watching him. "I'm so sorry JJ"

"Me too" JJ answered quietly before a familiar and comfortable silence took hold once more.

...

_**I know it's quite short and it kind of just ends but I can't see how they're going to write JJ out with no lead up! Ugh so annoyed. Anyway this was my non shippy reason for JJ's departure but I might write a Jotch fic about why she has to leave! Let me know what you think : ) **_


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